Two-tube gravity-charger for magazine-guns.



No. 719,508. PATENTED FEB. s, 190s.

T.- q. JOYIIINISON. TWO TUBE GRAVITY CHARGER FOR MAGAZINE GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15, 1902. N0 MODEL I 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 No. 719,868. PATENTVEDMFEB'. s, 1903 r T.G.JOHN$ON. TWO TUBE GRAVITY CHARGER FOR MAGAZINE GUNS.

- APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15, 1902.

H0 MODEL. 2 SHBBTSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES THOMAS C. JOHNSON, NE-WV I-IA VEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNON TO WIN- CHESTER REPEATING ARMS (30., OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A COR- PORATION.

TWO-TUBE GRAVITY-CHARGER FOR MAGAZINE-GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,808, dated February 3, 1903.

Application filed September 15, 1902. Serial No. 123,466. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. JOHNSON, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have'invented a new and useful Improvement in Two-Tube Gravity-Chargers for Tubular Magazine-Guns; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the figures of reference marked therem'on, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a 'view in perspective of one form which a two-tube charger constructed in accordance with my invention a may assume; Fig. 2, a view thereof in central longitudi nal section; Fig. 3, an enlarged view of the charger in transverse section on the line a b of Fig. 1; Fig. {i, a corresponding view on the line 0 d of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, an enlarged view ofthe device looking into its charging end; Fig. 6, a detached viewof the cartridgeretaining spring on the scale of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 7, an edge View of the said spring; Fig. 8, a plan view of the tubes with the spring removed; Fig. 9, a broken view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing the mode of applying the charger to the stock of agun having a tubular magazine in its butt-stock; Fig. 10, a broken plan View showing the character of the charging-opening in the magazine-tube and of the clearance-opening therefor in the butt-stock; Fig. a broken view of the magazine-tube in longitu- 5 dinalsection to show the charging-opening and the surfaces at the ends thereof; Fig. 11, a plan view of one of the modified forms which my improved charger may assume; Fig. 12, a longitudinal sectional view thereof; Fig. 13, an end view of the charging end thereof; Fig. 14., a plan view of still another modification which my improved charger may assume; Fig. 15, an end view of the charging end thereof.

- My invention relates to an improvement intubular chargers for charging the magazines of tubular magazine-guns, the object being to produce a simple, compact, reliable, and

convenient device for'the purpose stated.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a two-tube charger for charging the magazines of tubular magazine guns, the tubes being placed side by side.

My invention further consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed'outin the claims.

In carrying out my invention, as shown in Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive, I employ two independently-formed sheet-metal tubes 2 and 3, corresponding in diameter and length and secured together by a line of brazing 4-01- in any other well-known manner. are adapted in length to receive, say, five cartridges and in diameter to permit the cartridges to slide freely in and out of them. The outer end of each tube is spun inwardly to form a retaining-flange 5 for the retention of the cartridges, which might, however, be retained in the tubes in some other way.

Each tube is formed near its forwarder charging end with a small rectangular opening or slot 6, respectively receiving cartridgeretain'ing teeth 7, entering the tubes through the said slots and formed integral with and upon the opposite edges of a long fiat cartridgeretaining spring 8, secured at its rear end by screws 9 to a block-like spring-retaining seat 10, substantially triangular in cross-section and fastened by. brazing or otherwise between the two tubes to the rear of their longitudinal centers. These teeth 7 are located directly opposite each other and at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the spring. At its forward end the said spring 8 is enlarged to form an angular operating-head 11, slightly These tubes dished in cross-section to conform to the curvature of the tubes between which it virtually lies. This single spring 8 suflices for the retention of the cartridges in both tubes and in being operated is sprung edgewise or laterally, whereby it is caused to ride upon bullet end its head will coact with the said rounded surface of the tooth and cause the spring to be suificiently displaced to permit the cartridge to pass by the tooth into the tube, after which the slightly concaved inner edge 7 of the tooth will prevent the cartridge from escaping from the tube when the charger is being carried ar 1 handled. For the purpose of moving the spring so as to permit the cartridges to run out of the tubes by gravity in charging a gun the head 11 of thespring 8 is formed with two tapered or inclined sur faces 11,located directly opposite each other, one or the other of these surfaces being brought into play, according to the tube being emptied. These inclined surfaces, which may he considered as bcvels or as cams, ride upon a slightly-concaved two-pronged bearing-surface 12, located at the forward end of a long oval charging-opening 13, laterally entering the outer magazine-tube 14, which in the gun chosen for illustration is permanently located in the butt-stock 15 of the gun, which will be sufiiciently described for the purposes of disclosing my present invention by reference to Patent No. 681,481, granted August 27, 1901, to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company-upon my application. The said opening 13 enters the, tube 14 at an angle of about twenty degreesto the longitudinal axis thereof. At the "point where the tube 14 is formed with a chargingopening 13 the tube is formed with along shoulder 16, formed integral therewith; but this shoulder might be produced by brazing a. sleeve onto the tube. The said opening 13 enters the tube 14 at an angle, as described, and results in the production of an inclined bearing-surface 17, which pitches'toward the center of the tube 14 and forms a seat or hearing to receive and-guide the charging end of either one of the two tubes 2 and 3 as the charger is applied to the gun. The forward end of the bearing-surface 17 extends under the rear portion of thesurface 12, before referred to, as shown by Fig. A similar clearance-opening 18 is formed in the stock 15 to give access to the opening 13, as seen in Fig. 10. In order to charge the tube 14, one of the two tubes of the charger is applied to the surface 17 and shoved forward and inward as far as it will go. As it approaches the limit of its forward movement one of the two operating-surfaces 11 of thehead 11 of the spring 8, depending upon which of the two tubes 2 and 3 is being emptied, will ride upon the surface 12 and cause the spring to be moved edgewise sul'liciently to displace the retaining-tooth 7 in the tube to be emptied enough to clear the cartridges in the tube and allow them to gravitate by it into the magazinetube 14. The operation of charging the tube 14 is therefore effected very easily and expeditiously. When one tube has been emptied, the charger is simply revolved in the hand of the user by a simple movement of his fingers and the other tube emptied in the same manin a variety of ways. two independently-formed tubes brazed tothe spring 8 are so located with reference 130-.

the forward ends of the tubes that any cartridge which is not free to enter the magazine-tube 14 will be retained in the charger.

It is obvious that the charger may be made Thus instead of using gether they may be struck up in half-sections and riveted together, as shown in Figs. 11, 12, and 13, in which the half-sections 18 and 18 are secured together by rivets 19. In this case the spring-seat 10, before referred to, will be dispensed with and the rivets 19 utilized for securing the spring 20 in place. In this construction by preference the tubes will be slightly separated from each other at their rear ends for the better accommodation of the:

spring 20.

In the modified construction shown by Figs. 14 and 15 I employ two cartridge-retaining springs 21 21* instead of one spring, these two springs at their forward ends Virtually constituting the half-section of the forward end of the spring 8. They may be secured in place in any desired manner; but I have shown for the purpose a strap 22, to which they are fastened by rivets or screws 23 or in any other way.

It is obvious that in carrying out my invention still other forms and constructions may be resorted to and also that my improved charger may be used for charging guns having their tubular magazines differently constructed and arranged. I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such departures therefrom as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fullydescribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. A two-tube charger for charging the magazines of tubular magazine-guns, the said charger comprising two corresponding tubes located side by side and connected together, each formed for the reception of cartridges, and means secured to the outside of. the charger and entering the same near the charging ends'for retaining the cartridges therein, substantially as described.

2. A two-tube charger for charging the magazines of tubular magazine-guns, the said charger comprising two tubes located side by side and connected together, each formed to receive a column of cartridges, and a single spring entering both tubes for retaining the cartridges therein and adapted to be displaced for'perinitting either tube to be emptied.

3. A'two-tube charger for charging the magazines of tubular magazine-guns comprising two tubes located side byside and each adapted to receive a column of cartridges, and a spring formed with two cartridge-retaining teeth entering the respective tubes near the charging ends thereof, and with a head having two operating-surfaces by means of which the spring is sprung one way or the' other for displacing the teeth with respect to the cartridges in the tubes.

4. In a two-tube charger for charging the magazines of tubular magazine guns, the combination with two tubes each adapted to receive a column of cartridges, located side by side and each formed near its charging .end with a slot, of a single spring attached 'to the said tubes, provided with two cartridgeretaining teeth entering the respective tubes through the slots therein, and with an operating-hea'd having two oppositely-inclined magazines of tubular magazine-guns, the combination' with two tubes located side by side, 25 corresponding to each other in length and diameter, each havingits outer end spun inwardly to form a cartridge-retaining flange, and each having its charging end formed with a slot; of aspringconnected at its outer 30 end with the said tubes, formed near its charging end with teeth entering the slots, the said spring being also provided with an I operating-head having oppositely-inclined operatingsurfaces, whereby the spring is 35 sprung edgewise in one direction or the other for clearing the teeth from the cartridges in the tubes.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribo ing witnesses.

/' THOMAS C. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

FREDERIO G. EARLE, CLARA L. WEED. 

